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Tested today, Day 3 of cycling. NO2 was down, NO3 was up! :D And there was a clear 0 for ammonia, so I added half of the original dose.

At least the QT tank isn't showing signs of a freakishly short cycle. If the QT tank hasn't budged when the main tank is done cycling, I'll squeeze water from the main tank from the filter sponge onto the filter sponge and bio wheel of the QT tank to try to transfer over some bacteria.

Update on cycling. The ammonia is coming up 0 every time I test (and I add half the original amount after each day's testing to keep the cycle going). And today the NO2 was down to .25ppm! Exciting! :D And it looked like the NO3 was down too, which means that the plants are starting to absorb some of the N from the system. :D :D :D Hopefully it won't be too long before I can start adding livestock!

...Though I'm not adding anything until after this dang heat wave, even if my tank finishes cycling. Stupid heat.

Still not cycled, but getting there! The nitrites were noticeably less than .25ppm, though the color was closer to the .25 shade than 0 (I called it .2ppm in my log). And the nitrates seem to be dropping by about 10ppm a day, so the plants are doing their work! :D And yes, I am adding ammonia after testing every day, to keep the cycle going.

Tested today, Day 3 of cycling. NO2 was down, NO3 was up! :D And there was a clear 0 for ammonia, so I added half of the original dose.

At least the QT tank isn't showing signs of a freakishly short cycle. If the QT tank hasn't budged when the main tank is done cycling, I'll squeeze water from the main tank from the filter sponge onto the filter sponge and bio wheel of the QT tank to try to transfer over some bacteria.

You are trying to cycle filters for both a main tank AND a QT? I assume both are in your 5gal tank right now? I'm not clear on this.

Cycling each tank on its own. At least I was, until the filter stopped on the QT tank. That one is just going to have to wait until I can afford to get a new filter, and daily water changes if anything goes in it. Both tanks are kits that have areas for built-in filters. The QT tank especially is so specifically designed that you can't really sub in any other filter.

Hip hip, hooray!! 0/0/10!!! My tank is CYCLED! :D Not that I'm immediately going out and buying fish, but it's good to know that the tank is ready!

And it only took a week. I'm sure that's in part due to the Eco Complete. While I'm not saying that their claim to 'instantly cycle' your tank is true, it certainly seems like it gave my tank a boost in cycling. I had my tank sitting a week with the only ammonia being the .25ppm that's in the tap water, and yet when I started cycling my tank, the first time I tested I had already moved into the nitrite phase. Who knows how quickly it would have cycled if I had started immediately instead of waiting a week.

Cycling each tank on its own. At least I was, until the filter stopped on the QT tank. That one is just going to have to wait until I can afford to get a new filter, and daily water changes if anything goes in it. Both tanks are kits that have areas for built-in filters. The QT tank especially is so specifically designed that you can't really sub in any other filter.

Congrats on your cycled tank! BTW, I hope you're aware that it's not necessary to cycle a QT - just cycle the filter you plan to use in the QT and keep it going on your main tank. Then, when you need the filter, you just transfer it to the QT.

The tanks and filters are too small and tank-specific to keep the QT's filter cycled on the main one. They are both kits where the filter is built into the tank itself, and the only space for media, especially on the main tank, is taken up by a single filter sponge. Not to mention that the filter on the QT has a busted motor that needs to be replaced before I can try cycling that tank again. The best I would be able to do would be to swap sponges between the two tanks, since I cut them both from the same larger sponge to use instead of the cartridges that the filters normally call for.

Nothing really new to add. I ran a full panel of tests this morning (instead of just the amm/NO2/NO3), and yup, still cycled. :) Nitrates still low. I've been having drops in water level (enough to effect the way water circulates in the tank) thanks to the heat wave and water testing, so I gave the water I mixed to top off the tank a splash of DI water to counter any possible hardness creep.

And I have a new picture, taken last night. :) It was taken late at night, with both tank and the room light on (as opposed to earlier in the day, like the last time I took a pic).

Fishie time! I went to Petco and got a nice fishie for the tank. There were actually two that were haunting me, a male and a baby, and I couldn't pick between them. The baby's going into the QT until I get my recently-acquired 6 gal up and running, and the male is in the 5 gal. :) I drip-acclimated him for an hour and half, before carefully tipping him into a fine mesh net, and releasing him into the tank. I wasn't worried about matching temps, because everything is at room temp. A bit warmer than what I have the heater set to, but still well within betta temps. He has already eaten one food pellet since I didn't want to fast him, but he also wasn't settled enough for a full meal.

Pictures to come after the baby is fully acclimated and in his temporary home.